Diet Coke Oscar Commercial 2012

Name of Company/Competitor: Diet Coke
Name of Campaign/Spot: Not All Stars Appear On Screen
Date Launched: 2/26/12
Description: The people behind the scenes of movies are seen drinking Diet Coke, writers, directors, editors, and even an actor. It ends with the audience also enjoying a Diet Coke. Ends with "Not all stars appear on screen. Stay Extraordinary"
Media Details: TV

Selecting a Seatmate to Make Skies Friendlier

PARIS — On his eight-hour flight to New York from Switzerland last month, Jeff Jarvis, a well-known blogger and journalism professor, found himself seated next to a woman eager to discuss the finer points of management theory.

“Normally, it would have been fine to chat, but I had work to do,” he said. When, after a while, the conversation failed to find a natural end, Mr. Jarvis resorted to the road warrior’s tried-and-true trick: He donned his headphones.

Mr. Jarvis, whose book “Public Parts” argues about the virtues of engaging with people online, conceded that such experiences made him wary about doing the same in an airplane setting. “So often we do sit next to utter strangers,” he said. “And the lottery does not have great odds.”

But what if those odds could be improved with access to the information that passengers already share about themselves online?

This month, the Dutch carrier KLM began testing a program it calls Meet and Seat, allowing ticket-holders to upload details from their Facebook or LinkedIn profiles and use the data to choose seatmates.

The concept is a step beyond the not always successful efforts a few years ago by some airlines — including Air France, Virgin Atlantic and Lufthansa — to build “walled” social networks out of their existing frequent flier memberships.

Read Full Article Here

Would you feel comfortable picking and knowing who you were going to be seated next to on a flight? Would you feel more compelled to engage with your seat mate knowing they chose to sit next to you or vice versa?

Pepsi is releasing a half-diet, half-regular soda concoction

Pepsi is releasing a mid-calorie drink aimed at those who dislike the taste of diet soda, but don't want the calories of a regular Pepsi. The new drink, Pepsi Next, is set to hit stores by the end of March. It will contain 60 calories, about half the calories of a regular Pepsi. A similar approach recently worked for Dr Pepper Snapple, which introduced Dr Pepper Ten, with 10 calories, last year. That drink helped boost the company's fourth-quarter sales.

Source

Do you think 60 calories is too many or too little calories? Will people make the switch from regular? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Jelly Belly Introduces Snapple-flavored beans

Jelly Belly has introduced a new line of jelly beans inspired by Snapple beverages.

Jelly Belly Snapple Mix are made with natural ingredients, including real fruit juice, Snapple juice drink concentrates and fruit purees, and do not contain artificial coloring, Jelly Belly said. The product will be packaged in a 1.65-oz. bottle package that is modeled after the real Snapple Juice Drink bottles. In addition to the new 1.65-oz. Jelly Belly Snapple Bottle, Jelly Belly Snapple Mix also is available in a 3.1-oz. bag, a 6.5-oz. bag and 4.5-oz. box.

Jelly Belly Snapple Mix will be available in fruit punch, mango madness, cranberry raspberry, pink lemonade and kiwi strawberry flavors.

Source

How Brisk Iced Tea Got One Million Facebook Fans

VaynerMedia has helped Brisk Iced Tea present a more youthful image on Facebook, and the resulting campaign doubled sales for the beverage over a two year time period.

Brisk’s Facebook page recently crossed the one million fan milestone, and boasts that 82 percent of them are in their 20s and 30s. We asked them to tell us how they did it.

What proof do you have that the doubled sales volume is due to the Facebook promotions?

Gary Vaynerchuk, Co-Founder, VaynerMedia: Much like the way television is measured – where people say they do it and then see sales impact at shelf- Brisk has been doing social media correctly and their business has grown. I find it ironic that people are trying to turn social media into an isolated, direct marketing tool when they don’t ask print, outdoor, radio, and television to do the same.

Eric Fuller, Brand Director, Brisk Iced Tea: Brisk has done a great deal over the past few years, from revitalizing our packaging graphics to expanding beyond teas into juice drink flavor innovation, partnering with iconic personalities and characters from Eminem and Machete to The Green Lantern and launching a custom mobile app featuring iconic Star Wars characters. While I can’t prove the link between our Facebook community and our sales, I can say that our Facebook community has been a consistent driving force in all of our marketing efforts during this time and we have seen our sales double in the past 2 years.

Why did Unilever/Lipton/Brisk decide to work with a third-party social media company instead of doing it in-house? And why Vayner instead of a bigger outfit? Does Vayner work with Unilever’s other subsidiaries and brands?

Fuller: We started working with Vayner in fall  2009, back when we were just launching a Facebook page. Vayner also works on the two other brands in the Pepsi Lipton Partnership – Pure Leaf and Lipton Iced Tea.

We felt that the team put into place was fully committed to understanding the Brisk brand and the sensibility of the millennial consumer. Our instincts proved to be right on as Vayner not only helped drive our community but also drove engagement metrics unlike anything we’ve seen with other brands.

Read Full Interview Here

Coca-Cola Testing Facebook Timeline Brand Page?

Facebook’s Timeline design for Pages is coming very soon! As mentioned in this post, rumor has it that Facebook will be announcing Timeline for Pages at the first ever Facebook Marketing Conference on February 29th in NYC.

The buzz is building about the imminent announcement of this much-awaited feature. Well, I should say, some businesses and brands are eagerly awaiting this overhaul to fan pages! Many of us are waiting with bated breath to see how the new Timeline design will affect a) custom landing tabs, and b) apps. Not to mention the split-wall, and whether fan engagement and EdgeRank will be impacted.

I’m certain the new page design will have the attractive large cover image. And it’s likely that apps will be displayed in ‘boxes’ at the top right of the Timeline design, similar to the personal Timelines. I certainly hope that we can still drive visitors and fans to custom landing tabs/areas.

As for when the rollout will happen, my guess is that major brands and large businesses will get the new design first, and after that it could take two to three months before all pages have access to the new Timeline format. But, who knows? Facebook doesn’t seem to be revealing much yet! Given there are over 845 Million user profiles vs. 20 Million fan pages with more than 30 fans, the Timeline rollout for Pages could happen much, much quicker than it is for profiles!

Source

Dr Pepper Beats Forecasts, Though Muted Growth Expected for 2012

Boosted by higher prices, decreased marketing spending, and strong sales from Dr Pepper TEN and Sun Drop, Dr Pepper Snapple (DPS) beat Wall Street earnings expectations for the fourth-quarter of 2011. Despite an overall decline in sales volume, DPS announced yesterday that its fourth-quarter net income increased by 48 percent to $166 million, as the company earned $0.82 cents per share, easily besting consensus estimates of $0.74 per share. In a new report, however, Wells Fargo analyst Bonnie Herzog anticipates muted core growth for DPS in 2012 as volumes are expected to remain “soft” along with increased marketing spend and competition from Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.

Dr Pepper Snapple itself expects sales to grow modestly this year with expectations on the low end of its long-term 3-5 percent target and earnings of $2.90 to $2.98 per share. Herzog concurs with DPS estimates and expectations based on several factors including the company’s forecast of a mild increase of 2-2.5 percent in its pricing mix, as well as a manageable 2-3 percent bump in commodity costs (as compared to an expected 7 percent hike for Pepsi and a 3.5 percent increase for Coke.)

Overall, DPS saw a 1 percent decline in fourth quarter sales of CSDs and a 6 percent drop in its non-carbonated beverage portfolio. Sales of 7UP, Crush, Sunkist, Hawaiian Punch and Mott’s, each declined by double digits partially as a result of price increases. Yet while DPS saw a number of its beverages struggle in the fourth quarter, the company was buoyed by a 2 percent increase in volume of its flagship Dr Pepper brand and increased distribution and sales of Dr Pepper TEN and Sun Drop. Additionally, the company’s tea and juice portfolios outperformed industry trends.

The launch of Dr Pepper TEN, a new 10-calorie version of Dr Pepper marketed to men, has proven to be a successful one for DPS as the brand deepened its footprint in both the convenience and grocery store channels. Herzog is optimistic about the long-term growth of the “Ten” platform and believes that the company’s roll-out of a core line of 10 calorie products will be very successful for DPS. Moreover, Sun Drop continues be a bright spot for DPS as the citrus drink contributed approximately 2 million incremental cases of sales volume in the fourth quarter and 9 million cases overall in 2011. Sun Drop is now the number two brand in the citrus category and is responsible for nearly 43 percent of the overall growth of the category during the year.

Source: BevNet.com

Coca-Cola releases 4 minute commercial for 2012 Olympics

Name of Company/Competitor: Coca-Cola

Name of Campaign/Spot: Move to the Beat of London

Date Launched: 2/15/12

Description: Mark Ronson and Coca-Cola traveled the world to create a new dance track using the sounds of sport from 5 Olympic hopefuls!

Media Details: Currently, only on YouTube

Recent Article

Coca-Cola's Three Super Bowl Ads

Name of Company/Competitor: Coca-Cola

Name of Campaign/Spot: Superstition / Catch / Argh

Date Launched: 2/5/12

Description: The polar bears react live to the Super Bowl during commercial breaks. All three aired during the big game.

Media Details: TV

Superstition

Catch

Argh

Further Reading: Super Bowl Polar Bears Draw Bigger Crowds Than Expected

Convenience Stores get the Coke Freestylin' Treatment

NATIONAL REPORT -- Over the last few years, the Coca-Cola Freestyle fountain has been making a splash in restaurants, offering more than 120 of The Coca-Cola Co.'s sparkling and still beverages from a single unit. At the same time, the idea of bringing this technology into the convenience channel has been met with a bubbling of questions: How would c-store customers respond to such a different fountain experience? Would it be additive to fountain sales? What impact, if any, would it have on packaged beverages?

At last, the beverage giant believes it has the answers -- and some convenience retailers are seeing for themselves whether Freestyle is the right fit for their stores and their customers.

"It's about giving the consumer choice and variety in a fun and engaging experience," said Gene Farrell, vice president and general manager of Coca-Cola Freestyle Global, The Coca-Cola Co. "Our early learning in c-stores is that consumer excitement is just as great as it is in the restaurant channel. We're seeing significant lifts in dispensed, and it doesn't appear to be cannibalizing packaged product."

Read Full Article Here

Coca-Cola & Pepsi Feel the Love from Consumers on Valentine's Day

A combination of high-tech and classic brands hold the keys to consumers' hearts according to the CBX consumer survey on brand love. Apple rises to the top.

Consumers love their brands, especially ones that begin with the letter “A” for Apple. In honor of Valentine’s Day, CBX (http://www.cbx.com), the New York-based brand agency, conducted a quantitative online survey of 1,000 consumers nationwide and asked, “What brand do you love the most?” and “Why?”

The top ten brands that are consumers’ Valentines:

1. Apple
2. Sony
3. Coke/Coca-Cola
4. Nike
5. Pepsi/Mountain Dew
6. Wal-Mart
7. Samsung
8. Chevrolet/Chevy
9. Dell
10. Amazon

“Consumer's love affair with their high-tech toys is evident. Brands that continue to give them new products to love will thrive,” says Gregg S. Lipman, managing partner, CBX. “But, we can’t overlook the classics, Coca-Cola and Chevrolet, two great American brands that seem to always own a piece of our hearts.” Perhaps it’s no coincidence that Chevrolet announced that it sold a record 4.76 million cars and trucks last year.

Read Full Article Here

Facebook "Likes" Don't Necessarily Mean Brand Loyalty

Facebook marketers, likes on pages or posts don’t amount to brand loyalty.

That’s the conclusion of eMarketer upon studying data eVoc Insights and the Chief Marking Officers Council.

A study from eVoc found that 59 percent of Facebook users have liked the page of a brand or company during the past six months, and that 54 percent of those users who liked pages said they were somewhat or much more likely to purchase goods or services from those brands.

According to eMarketer, the categories scoring the most likes are food, TV shows, music, movies, and clothing.

On the flip side, the CMO Council, as previously reported, found that consumers’ top expectation after liking pages was to be eligible for exclusive offers, whereas the top answer for why marketers thought Facebook users liked their pages was agreeable content, at 57 percent.

The conclusion from eMarketer is:
The link between likes and loyalty remains unclear. Although consumers respond favorably about their likelihood to purchase from a brand they follow on Facebook, that’s not overly evident from their Facebook timelines. Marketers should keep in mind that for consumers, Facebook remains primarily a place to interact with peers and share experiences. Although many consumers have opened up to brands that are present on Facebook, brand marketers should not expect that they’ve earned consumer loyalty simply because a consumer has clicked the like button.

Readers, if likes don’t amount to brand loyalty, should marketers worry about them any less?

SOURCE

Snapple "Favorites" on-air!

Name of Company/Competitor: Snapple

Name of Campaign/Spot: Favorites

Date Launched: 2/6/12

Description: Snapple employees debate which is better in their Diet hHalf 'n Half, lemonade or tea! Blended perfectly together, both flavors come out winners.

Media Details: TV

Coke Zero tries to promote Magnificent Monday

Everyone wants an extra day off work, right?

Apparently not. 

Coke Zero, in a PR move of apparent benevolent goodness, wants to turn the Monday after the Super Bowl into a national holiday—as in the kind of government holiday that could lead to actual paid time off. They dubbed it “Magnificent Monday” and turned to YouTube and Twitter to drum up support.

Read Full Article Here

What do you think? Good idea? Just executed poorly? Comment with your thoughts.

Pepsi Super Bowl Ad - 2012

Name of Company/Competitor: Pepsi

Name of Campaign/Spot: King's Court  
Date Launched: 2/5/12

Description: Sir Elton John and The X Factor winner, Melanie Amaro, face off in an epic, medieval music showdown. Proving once again, Where There's Pepsi, There's Music

Media Details: TV

ABA responds to NYC Anti-Soda Campaign

The American Beverage Association (ABA) has hit out at advertisements used in an anti-obesity campaign, launched by the New York City Health Department, which warns about the consumption levels of soft drinks.

The 'Pouring on the Pounds' poster campaign, which launched across New York earlier this month, aims to "make consumers more aware of portion sizes" when choosing what to eat or drink. The city's health department said it hopes the campaign will "provide New Yorkers with the information they need to make healthier choices".

One poster depicts a man with Type 2 diabetes and an amputated leg sitting behind a graphic showing how soft drinks portions have increased over time. The accompanying text reads: "Portions have grown. So has Type 2 diabetes, which can lead to amputations. Cut your portions. Cut your risk." Other posters show fat dripping from a soft drink bottle, and a man sucking fat from a soft drinks can as it drips down his chin.

Read Full Article Here

SoBe Skinsuit 2012

Name of Company/Competitor: SoBe Lifewater

Name of Campaign/Spot: SoBe Skinsuit   
Date Launched: 1/24/2

Description: Watch Yvonne Strahovski rock the 2012 SoBe Skinsuit, inspired by new SoBe Lifewater with Coconut Water. Hydration never tasted (or looked) so good.
Media Details: TV

 

Pepsi Max Super Bowl Ad - 2012

Name of Company/Competitor: Pepsi Max

Name of Campaign/Spot: Check Out    
Date Launched: 1/31/12

Description: Coke Zero employee contemplates between Coke Zero and Pepsi Max. Chooses Pepsi Max and heads to the check out trying to be discrete, but the cashier starts to make a big deal. When he is rung up, he is declared a WINNER! and wins Pepsi Max for life.
Media Details: TV